Game apparatus



Nov. 17, 1936. A. BlsslRl ET AL GAME APPARATUS Filed May 20, 1935 NVENTORS AUGUSTO BISSIRI FOSTER G. CARLING BY l ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNlTED kATENT OFFICE GAME APPARATUS and W. C. Larrabee Application May 20, 1935, Serial No. 22,340

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to game apparatus and more particularly to a, game pieces collector mixer and dispenser device.

It is apparent to anyone skilled in the art to which the present invention appertains, that in games `of the type wherein game pieces are dispensed lfrom a container it is very desirable to collect, mix and dispense the game pieces without it ever being necessary for the operator to touch 10 them.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a game pieces collector, mixer and dispenser device which may be operated without it ever being necessary to touch the game pieces.

Briey, the invention contemplates the utilization of a container device having a mixing chamber or magazine into which the game pieces are inserted through a collecting opening which is arranged so that when the container is placed over a game piece with the collecting opening registering over the game piece, the game piece is forced into the mixing chamber, magazine or storage compartment by simply pressing or forcing the container device over the game piece.

Means are provided for preventing the game piece dropping out of the magazine through the collecting opening once the piece is in the magazine. The container is also provided with a dispensing opening. This last named opening is arranged so that only one game piece at a time may be dispensed from the storage compartment and this function is performed only when a certain mechanism which will be described in detail hereinafter is operated. The game pieces may be mixed while they are in the storage compartment or mixing chamber by simply picking up the container device and shaking it.

While the device to be hereinafter described in detail may be readily adapted to dispense more than one game piece at a time, a single game piece dispenser arrangement will be described since such a device permits of placing the game pieces dispensed in various permutations and combinations instead of simply combinations as would be the case if the game pieces were selected or dispensed, say, three at a time.

Since it is usually desirable to mix the game pieces before each cycle of play of most games of the type wherein game pieces are used, the collecting and dispensing openings on the container device are preferably placed on the device oppositely with respect to each other. In this Way it will be evident that the game pieces are mixed automatically after they are picked up, since the container must be turned upside down to pick up the game pieces with resepect to its position when the game pieces are to be dispensed.

Objects of the invention are to provide a simple, durable and artistic device which may be manufactured at low cost and which will perform all of the desired functions with a minimum of failures.

Still other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description4 penser device constructed in accordance with the 1'5i present invention.

Fig, 2 is a side view of the device; and,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device looking at it from the dispensing end thereof. 4

In its simplest form the device comprises two 2() telescoped sections 2 and 3; a leaf spring member which is attached at an intermediate point to element4 2 by means of rivets 6; and, a dished chute 5. Member 3 is placed inside of member 2 and is constructed so as to be easily moved in 25 and out of the member 2. Movement of section 3 within element 2 is limited by the chute 5 which is hung from member 2. For this purpose chute 5 is provided at its two ends with tongues 1, 'l which are preferably formed integrally with 5. 30 The two tongues 1, 'l t into two openings 8, 8 formed at diametrically opposite points of the section 2. Chute 5 is preferably constructed of springy material to permit its being sprung into position, thus assuring a sturdy mounting for the 35 chute 5 on the device 2. The ends of chute 5 are passed through the internal sliding member 3 through two slots 9, 9; the height of these slots determines the allowable movement of element 3 within element 2. The member 3 is provided 40 with a re-entrant portion Il] in which is formed a slot Il. Another slot i2 is formed on member 3 in alignment with slot Il and the device 3 is slidably mounted within outer member 2 so that the lower half of leaf spring 4 is inserted through 45 slots l2 and Il as shown. v

The resiliency of leaf spring ll tends to straighten out the spring so that the lower end I4 of the spring l is always pressing against shoulder I3. 1 Thus the spring 4 tends to keep the inner element 50 3 always in the position shown by the solid lines in Fig. l and in Fig. 2.

The dot-dash lines in Fig. 1 show the relative position of the various parts of the apparatus when section 3 is pressed into member 2 against 55 the force exerted by spring 4. When the pressure is released, spring 4 forces the member 3 back to its normal position. The operation is evident from a study of Fig. l. The other end of spring 4 is provided with a curved end I6 which projects slightly over an opening I'I formed in the section 2. Opening Il is the collector opening and its size is determined by the size of the game pieces 2U. As can be seen from Fig. 1 the opening II is slightly larger than the game pieces 20 so that were it not for the end i5 of spring d projecting over opening I'I a game piece could easily be inserted within the container 2 through the opening. As arranged it is necessary to force the game piece 2D through the opening I l. The resiliency of spring 4 allows the game piece to pass through, however, as soon as the piece 20 passes through the opening, the spring 4 snaps back into its original position as shown in Fig. 1 and thus prevents the game piece from falling out. This feature of the invention is very desirable since the device is inverted from the position shown in the drawing when game pieces are to be picked up from a table or container without touching them. To dispense the game pieces 2B one at a time, the device is placed on a surface I5 and outer section 2 pressed downwardly as shown by the arrow (Fig. 1) with suilicient force to overcome the pressure exerted by the lower half of spring Il. Inner sleeve 3 then assumes its dotted position relative to member 2. When the inner sleeve 3 is in its normal position, as shown by the full lines, a game piece 20 will be resting on the chute 5 as shown. 'I'he game piece 2l) is prevented from rolling out onto the surface I5 via end ZI of the re-entrant portion of sleeve 3; however, when sleeve 3 is in the dotted position the distance between edge 2I and chute 5 is greater than the overall dimensions of the game pieces and thus a game piece is permitted to roll from the chute 5 through the action of gravity. Only one game piece 20 is ejected with each operation since the lower portion of spring Il by projecting into the opening of the re-entrant portion It of sleeve 3 through opening I I holds back the other game pieces (see Fig. l). It should be noted that re-entrant portion I is dished or curved so as to prevent two or more game pieces bridging across the toppart of the opening and thus preventing proper operation of the device.

While only one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described it is to be understood that the physical embodiment thereof may vary in many respects without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention and/or the appended claims.

What we claim is:-

1. In game apparatus or the like, a game pieces collector, mixer and ejector device comprising, a container of suflicient capacity to hold several game pieces loosely so that the game pieces may be mixed when the container is shaken, va collecting opening formed therein, a resilient element associated with the opening and arranged so that game pieces may be insertedl in said container through said opening but not ejected through the opening, an ejecting opening in said container and operable means for preventing all but one game piece from being ejected from said last named opening with each operation of the operable means.

2. In game apparatus or the like, a game pieces container comprising a pair of telescoped members, a game pieces collector opening formed in one of said members, resilient means positioned so as to project over said opening and arranged so that a game piece may be inserted Within the container by pressing the container over the game piece with the game piece registering with said opening, said resilient means also acting to prevent game pieces within the container from being ejected therefrom through the opening.

3. A game pieces container as described in the next preceding claim, further characterized by that the other telescoped member has formed therein a game pieces dispenser opening and by that means are provided whereby the telescoped members may be displaced a limited amount relative to one another, and by that resilient means are provided for returning the two telescoped members to rbe returned to their normal position relative to each other after each operation of the device.

4. A ball collecting and dispensing device comprising, an annular cylinder restricted at one end and adapted to receive a ball through the restricted end, a resilient restraining member projecting over the opening at the restricted end of the cylinder to prevent balls Within the cylinder from being ejected through the restricted end opening of ther cylinder while permitting the balls to be inserted therein, a hollow cylindrical member disposed within said annular cylinder and adapted to have a sliding i'lt with the annular cylinder, a resilient member for restricting the motion of the second cylinder within the annular cylinder between two predetermined points, said hollow cylindrical member being provided with a re-entrant portion through which the balls may be ejected, a second resilient member cooperating with said re-entrant portion and arranged with respect thereto so as to prevent the ejection of a ball when the second cylindrical member is positioned at one of the predetermined points, said second named resilient means being further adapted to permit the ejection of a ball when the second annular cylinder is positioned at the other of said predetermined points while simultaneously preventing the ejection of other of the balls in the rst named device, until said second annular cylinder is returned to the'rst named predetermined point.

5. A ball collecting and dispensing device as described in claim 4 characterized by that the re-entrant portion of the hollow cylindrical member is dished so as to prevent bridging of the balls within the device across the dispenser opening.

6. A device as described in claim 4 further characterized by that the second named resilient member is formed so as to act as a chute for dispensing the balls.

'7. In game apparatus or the like, a game pieces container device comprising a pair of relatively displaceable telescoped members, means for limiting the extent of relative displacement of said members, one of said members havingformed therein a game pieces collecting opening, a resilient member positioned on said last named member and arranged so as to partially close said collecting opening, a chute having a game pieces discharge end formed in the other of the telescoped members and means cooperating with said chute for holding back all but one of the game pieces when one of the telescoped members is displaced with respect to the Vother thereof whereby only one of the game pieces is discharged from the container with each operation of the said members.

8. In game apparatus or the like, a game pieces collector, mixer and ejector, comprising a pair of cup like, telescoped, relatively displaceable members, said members cooperating so as to form a container for the game pieces, said co-ntainer being of suflicient capacity to hold a plurality of game pieces loosely so that the game pieces may be mixed or shuied when the container is shaken, means for limiting the extent or relative displacement of said members between two limiting points, resilient means for normally positioning the two members at one of the limiting points, one of said telescoped members having a game pieces collecting opening formed therein, a resilient lever element mounted on one of the members and arranged so that one end thereof extends over a part of said opening, said lever being mounted in such a manner that game pieces may be inserted in the container through the opening but not ejected therethrough, the other of said members being provided with a slotted barrel through which game pieces may be passed and operable means engaging the barrel-slot for controlling the passage of game pieces through the barrel, said last named means being operable upon displacement of the two members relative to one another.

AUGUSTO BISSIRI.

FOSTER G. CARLING. 

